Self-medication among Undergraduate Medical Students of Alexandria Faculty of Medicine: Where do We Stand?

Authors

  • Marwa Ramadan Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Asmaa Eltaweel Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Tamwe El Nakhal Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Hanan Hemead Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Abdelrahman Maraqa Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Doha Abish Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Rana Essam Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.
  • Azza Baraka Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2018.41

Keywords:

Self-Medications, OTC Drugs, Non-Prescription Drugs, Medical Students, Egypt

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of self-medication among undergraduate medical students in Alexandria Faculty of Medicine and recognize the patterns and the attitude of students towards intake.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students attending Alexandria Faculty of Medicine from both national and international programs during the period of June 2013 until October 2013. A self-administrated, semi-constructed questionnaire was used to assess the practice of self-medication among 408 students who were randomly selected using a stratified random sample technique.

Results: Self-medication was reported by 208 (52.7%) students, with no significant difference between males and females. The highest percentage of self-medication was reported among those who have completed six years of academic study and the lowest was reported among those who have completed two years of academic study. There was a statistically significant association between educational stage (preclinical and clinical) practice of self-medication. Most common medications involved were analgesic and anti-inflammatory followed by decongestants, antimicrobials and antihistaminic drugs. 309 (78.8%) students believed that self-medication is acceptable.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that self-medication is practiced by more than half of undergraduate medical students in the Faculty of Medicine - Alexandria University. Acquiring medical knowledge seems to be associated with the practice of self-medication. Therefore, more attention should be paid to medical curricula to raise awareness and limit the hazardous effects of this phenomenon

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Author Biography

Marwa Ramadan, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.

Marwa Ramadan is working as Assistant Lecturer of Occupational Health at the Department of Community Medicine and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.

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Published

2018-05-10

How to Cite

Ramadan, M., Eltaweel, A., El Nakhal, T., Hemead, H., Maraqa, A., Abish, D., Essam, R., & Baraka, A. (2018). Self-medication among Undergraduate Medical Students of Alexandria Faculty of Medicine: Where do We Stand?. International Journal of Medical Students, 6(2), 52–55. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2018.41

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2018)

Section

Original Article

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